Refrigerator construction



March 3, 1942.

J. s. LUNDVALL 2,274,906 REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION FiledMarch 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYJ' Patented Mar. 3, 1942 REFRIGERATOR CONSTRUCTION John S. Lundvall, Chicago, 111., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 23, 1938, Serial No.197,606 15 Claims. (o1. 105-411) bulkheads, which may serve to distort and even fracture the walls or floor of the car on which the bulkhead is anchored, and it is an important object of my present invention to provide an improved and inexpensive end sill structure for refrigerator cars which will effectively support bulkhead loads and eliminate damage to the end structure of the car as a result of excessive bulkhead loading.

Yet more particularly, the present invention contemplates an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my Patent No. 2,092,981, issued September 14, 1937, for Refrigerator car bulkhead.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates a construction adapted to contribute to a material saving in total car weight or mass.

The saving in the transportation costs to be derived from the elimination of the movement of excess dead Weight is generally recognized and appreciated.

In constructions, such as those exemplified in the forgoing patent and in other constructions employed in the art, and wherein bulkhead supporting loads or other loads are concentrated upon a supporting member, it is evident that a serious structural problem results. It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator car construction comprising a load-carrying member for resisting bulkhead or other stresses, which load supporting member may be of relatively light construc- N tion, not materially adding to the weight of the car, yet providing rigidly and permanently for the distribution of the load supporting stresses without damage to the car.

Another important object is to provide an improved structural member for incorporation in the end sill construction of refrigerators for the reception of the bulkhead load; a further object being to provide a sill structure of the character mentioned, in combination with insulation adequate to prevent heat leakage through the sill structure.

Another important object is to provide a channeled member forming an integral part of the car wall for bracing the same against distortion under excesive load conditions, including the provision of adequate insulation at and around said channel member; a still further object being to apply the bulkhead load on said channeled sill member by means of spaced blocks of heat insulating material, and to provide additional insulation between the blocks.

Another important object is to provide bulkhead supports of improved construction for applying the bulkhead thrust directly upon the channeled sill member forming an integral part of the car wall.

These and numerous other important objects, advantages and inherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the same is more fully understood from the following description which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a refrigerator car embodying my present invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 2-2 and 3--3, respectively, in Fig. l; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 44 and 55, respectively, in Figs. 2 and 4.

To illustrate the invention I have shown on the drawings a refrigerator car H, having side walls l3, a roof l5, and a floor H, which may be of any suitable or preferred construction and erected upon main longitudinal floor sills IS, the opposed ends of the car being provided with end walls 2| extending between the roof l5 and the floor ll.

The car may be provided at each end With a hatchway 23 in the roof i5 and opening into a cooling chamber or ice bunker 25,. the ice bunkers being separated from the medial portions of the car comprising the storage space 21 by means of bulkheads 29. Ice cages of any suitable or preferred construction are or may be arranged within the space 25, the cage construction in the illustrated embodiment comprising perforated and corrugated sheet metal floor plates 3, expanded metal side walls 32 secured as by stapling upon supports 34 applied to the inner surfaces of the end and side walls of the by bolting the same together.

'ture of the car.

car, and perforated sheet metal ice bunker walls forming a part of the bulkheads 29.

The main sills IQ of the car support a sub floor 3! upon which is disposed a layer of insulation 33 which extends from end to end of the car throughout its entire width.

The insulation may comprise a plurality of layers or bats of insulating felt comprising animal, vegetable or mineral fibres laid with broken joints, and the main flooring, comprising interfitted boards 35, is supported over the insulation layer 33 and extends throughout the entire width of the car between the spaced bulkheads 29.

A drip pan 31, which overlaps the flooring 35, is provided in the bottom of each of the cooling chambers to receive the liquid prothe opposite edges of the body and at right angles thereto. The sections are assembled and interconnected together in aligned position by securing together the abutting marginal flanges of adjacent sections, the abutting flanges being secured by and between channel members 4! which are secured together and to the abutting flanges in any suitable or preferredmanner, as The upper ends of the channels 4! may be secured, as by bolting, to transversely extending hanger members #3, secured to and'forming a part of the-roof struc- The flanged edges of the channels 4!, facing into the'storage space 21, preferably carry sheathing 45 to provide a wall space or thrust surface, against which the material stored in the compartment 21 may be braced. The lower ends of the channels 4! are offset to provide bracing struts '41 between the lower portions of the bulkheads 29 and the lower end corners of the car, as clearly shown inFig. 4 of the I drawings.

The end walls 2! in the illustrated embodiment comprise an outer sheath '49, preferably of sheet metal containing lateral corrugations 5|, said sheath having marginal flanges 53 overlying the abutting edges of the side walls t3 and secured thereto in any suitable or convenient fashion. Within the sheathing 49 I arrange a layer of insulation 55 which may be and preferably is similar to the insulation 33 used in the floor construction, said insulation 55 extending into and forming a part of the roof structure of the car, as shown at 51. The insulation may be held at spaced intervals by and between clamping members 59, extendinglongitu'dinally in the wall structure and secured in any suitable or convenient manner upon the sheathing 49, the surface of the insulation 55, which faces into the ice bunker 25, being protected by a layer-6i preferably comp-rising wooden boards defining theinner'surface of the end wall 2i, said boards "extending from the roof to the floor of the vehicle.

Along the bottom of the end wall I arrange a transversechannel 63 extendingbetween the side these strengthening bars.

walls of the car opposite the lowermost'corrugation 5| of the end wall. The opposite edges of the channel member 63 are secured to the sheath 49, preferably along the opposite sides of the lowermost corrugation 5| in any suitable fashion, as by Welding or otherwise, so that the corrugation and the channel form a tubular box in thelower edge of the end wall. In order to strengthen this box I may provide at intervals connecting bars 65 secured between the opposed edges of the channel member and the opposed edges of the lowermost corrugation 5| of the end Wall, the opposed edges of the channel member being deformed, as at 61, to accommodate These members 65 thus provide tie bars or plates resisting lateral spreading. of the box-like tubular structural member under the influence of bulkhead supporting loads, as will hereinafter more fully apthe lower end corner of the car.

portion of the end walls in order to accommo date the channel member 63, and in order to provide insulation at this point I may fill the channel member 63 with an elongated bat of insulation 69.

Within the lower end corner of the car I arrange a plurality of spaced apart blocks 13, having edges 13 and 15, each extending at right angles with respect to the other and adapted, respectively, to engage the floor and the lower portions of the sheathing '6! on the side thereof opposite from the channel member 63. These blocks are disposed in spaced position to receive the thrust transmitted through the offset end portions 4? of the bulkhead supports M. The blocks '53 are held in place by longitudinally extending members ll and '59 which may vbe secured to the blocks and, respectively, to the sheathing 6i and to the floor, in any suitable or preferred manner. Between the blocks H and immediately adjacent and in contact with the lower portions of the end wall and opposite the channel 63 I arrange bats 6i of insulation for the purpose of preventing heat leakage from the interior of the car through the end wall at the channel member 63, and it will be noted that the insulation 8! and the blocks H, which are preferably of wood and of low heat transfer characteristics, extend entirely across the car opposite the channel member -63, thus providing adequate insulation opposite the place where the insulation 55 is omitted to accommodate the channel member 63.

The drip pan 31 is extended upwardly in position overlying and covering the blocks ll, the spacing members H and i9 and the insulation 8| to prevent seepage of liquid to such parts.

The channeled bulkhead support members M extend from the top of the bulkhead where they are secured to the roof by means of the bracket elements 43, downwardly to a point spaced above the floor, at which the offsetlportions M are bent and 'extend diagonally and downwardly toward The extremities of the'offset portions 47! are preferably flattened, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, for connection with a shoe 8-3 having a flanged portion to which the flattened ends of the bulkhead supports may be secured, as by bolting, it being understood that the bulkhead supports are arranged in pairs 'andisecured on opposite sides of the flange '85.

flanges 81, normal to the plane of the flange 85 to form adequate bearing upon an inclined edge 89 of the block II, it being understood that the block H is arranged in position to receive the thrust of the foot member connected with each spaced apart pair of bulkhead supports 4| at spaced intervals within the width of the car. Each of the foot members 83 has a portion 9| comprising an extension of the flanges 85 and 81 and adapted to bear upon the inner surface sheathing 6| comprising the end wall above the thrust transfer blocks 1 I, to thereby improve the thrust carrying effect in the lower end corner portions of the car.

It will be seen that the foregoing construction provides for supporting the bulkheads and transferring bulkhead load through the offset portions 41 of the bulkhead supports in a direction toward the lower end corner of the car and for transmitting the load directly through the foot members 83 and the transfer blocks H to the lower end wall portions of the car, which are adequately rigidified by the bracing channel 63, the channel 63 in the final analysis carrying the major portion of the bulkhead load. It will be seen that this channel, with the cooperating lowermost corrugations of the end wall, forms an especially rigid structure for supporting the bulkhead load. The channel, however, is of relatively thin, light construction and does not add materially, if at all, to the weight of the car, yet provides an especially rigid structure which will normally resist damage or distortion of the lower end wall of the car under the influence of excessive bulkhead loadings.

I may also utilize the reinforcing channel 63 other than at the lower end of the wall 2|, as for example, I may replace the insulation and clamping members 59 with a channel member similar to the member 63, or I may utilize such a member wherever it is desired to strengthen and rigidify the corrugated walls.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of demonstrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a refrigerator car having spaced side walls and an end wall, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, a channel member extending between and secured to the opposite side walls of said car in position to engage and support said end wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on said channel member.

2. In a refrigerator car having an end wall formed with horizontal corrugations, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, means for reinforcing said end wall to receive the bulkhead load comprising a channel member forming a part of the end wall structure and extending between the opposite side walls of the car, said channel member being secured on said end wall at a corrugation thereof to form a box with said corrugation, and means to brace said bulkhead on said box.

3. In a refrigerator car having an end wall formed with horizontal corrugations, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, means for reinforcing said end wall to receive the bulkhead load comprising a channel member forming a part of the end wall structure and extending between the opposite side walls of the car, said channel member being secured on said end wall at a corrugation thereof to form a box with said corrugation, heat insulating means enclosed within said channel member, a layer of insulation secured on the inner surface of said corrugated wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on said box.

4. In a refrigerator car having a wall comprising a corrugated sheet-metal member, means to strengthen and rigidify said wall comprising a channel member extending substantially between the opposite side edges of the corrugated member and secured along its opposed sides on said corrugated member at a corrugation thereof whereby the channel member forms a box with the corrugation, means forming a layer of insulation overlying said corrugated member and terminating at the channel member, heat insulating means contained within said channel member, and a wall surfacing layer extending over said layer of insulation and said channel, said surfacing layer resting upon the bottom of said channel and serving to retain the layer of insulation in place.

5. In a refrigerator car having a wall comprising a corrugated sheet-metal member, means to strengthen and rigidify said wall comprising a channel member extending substantially between the opposite side edges of the corrugated member and secured along its opposed sides on said corrugated member at a corrugation thereof whereby the channel member forms a box with the corrugation, and box-bracing means comprising a tierod extending directly between and secured to the opposite side edges of said channel member to prevent the same and the corrugation with which the channel member is associated from spreading under the influence of transverse loading applied on the box.

6. In a refrigerator car having an end wall comprising a corrugated sheet-metal member, means to strengthen and rigidify said wall comprising a channel member extending substantially between the opposite side edges of the corrugated member and secured along its opposed sides on said corrugated member at a corrugation thereof whereby the channel member forms a box with the corrugation, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said end wall, and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, means to bracesaid bulkhead on said box comprising a plurality of spaced bearing blocks at intervals on said end Wall opposite said box, and arms connected on said bulkhead and engagingsaid blocks, said arms extending from said bulkhead in a direction to deliver the thrust of the bulkhead load in a substantially direct line through the bearing blocks transversely upon said box.

7. In a refrigerator car having an end wall comprising a corrugated sheet-metal member, means to strengthen and rigidify said wall comprising a channel member extending substantially between the opposite side edges of the corrugated member and secured along its opposed sides on said corrugated member at a corrugation thereof whereby the channel member forms a box with the corrugation, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said end wall, and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, means to brace said bulkhead on said box comprising a plurality of spaced bearing blocks at intervals on said end wall opposite said box, and arms connected on said bulkhead and engaging said blocks, said arms extending from said bulkhead in a direction to deliver the thrust of the bulkhead load in a substantially direct line'through the bearing blocks transversely upon said box, a layer of insulation on said corrugated member and terminating at said channel, and insulation extending between said bearing blocks opposite said channel member.

8. In a refrigerator car having an end wall comprising a corrugated sheet-metal member, means to strengthen and rigidity said wall comprising a channel member extending substantially between the opposite side edges of the corrugated member and secured along .its opposed sides on said-corrugated member at a corrugation thereof whereby the channel member forms a box with the corrugation, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said end wall, and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, means to brace said bulkhead on said box comprising a plurality of spaced bearing blocks at intervals on said end wall opposite said box, and arms connected on said bulkhead and engaging said blocks, said arms extending from said bulkhead in a direction to deliver the thrust of the bulkhead load in a substantially direct line through the bearing blocks transversely upon said box, said blocks having surfaces inclined with respect to the plane of said wall, said arms having each :a foot adapted for bearing engagement on said inclined surfaces, and said feet having extensions forming ice bunker supports.

9. In a refrigerator car having an end wall and opposite side walls, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead being adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, a channel member extending between and secured to the opposite side walls of said car adjacent the lower edge of said end wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on said channel member.

10. In a refrigerator car having an end wall and opposite side walls, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkportions of said end wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on said channel member.

11. In a refrigerator car having an end wall and opposite side walls, a bulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead being adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, a channel member extending between and secured to the opposite side Walls of said car and having its channel facing said end wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on the portions of said channel member facing away from said end wall.

12. In a refrigerator car having an end wall and opposite side walls, means secured on' said side Walls forming a rigidified corner structure at the junction of said side and end walls, abulkhead defining a cooling chamber adjacent said end wall and a storage chamber adjacent the cooling chamber, said bulkhead being adapted to receive the thrust of cargo in said storage chamber, a load-carrying beam extending between the opposite side walls and anchored at its opposite ends on said corner structure in position extending across the lower portions of said end wall, and means to brace said bulkhead on said beam.

13.'In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side sills, spaced apart substantially vertical corner posts, an end wall sheet extending therebetween and secured thereto, spaced apart side walls, a bulkhead extending between said side walls in spaced relation to the end wall sheet to provide a refrigerant chamber therebetween, in combination with a substantially horizontal beam positioned between said bulkhead and said end wall sheet, means to secure the end portions of said beam to said side sills, a brace secured to said bulkhead, and means interposed between said brace and said beam to transmit horizontal forces from said brace to said beam.

14. In a refrigerator car having a longitudinally extending sill, spaced apart substantially vertical corner posts, an end wall sheet extending therebetween and secured thereto, spaced apart side walls, a bulkhead extending between said side walls in spaced relation to the end wall sheet to provide a refrigerant chamber therebetween, in combination with a substantially horizontal beam positioned between said bulkhead and said end wall sheet, means to secure said beam to said sill, a brace secured to said bulkhead, and means interposed between said brace and said beam to transmit horizontal forces from said brace to said beam.

15. 'In a refrigerator car having a longitudinally extending sill, spaced apart substantially vertical corner posts, an end wall sheet extending therebetween and secured thereto, spaced apart side walls, a bulkhead extending between said side walls to provide a refrigerant chamber therebetween, in combination with a substantially horizontal beam positioned between said bulkhead and said end wall sheet, means to secure said beam to said sill, a brace secured to said bulkhead, and means interposed between said brace and said sill to transmit horizontal forces from said brace to said beam.

JOHN S. LUNDVALL. 

